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The Legend of Zelda: 18 Insane Things You Didn't Know You Could Do In Ocarina Of Time

Despite originally releasing nearly two decades ago, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still one of the most beloved and recognized Nintendo games. The game was so successful that it was subsequently ported to Gamecube and made available on both the Wii and Wii U virtual consoles. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D was released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. Even today, fans of the title are petitioning Nintendo to make the game available on the newly released Nintendo Switch, possibly via a Legend of Zelda collection.

Interestingly, even though Ocarina of Time is so well known, there are still dozens of actions and activities possible with the game that many fans are not familiar with. Some of these features are hidden activities while others are glitches or exploits discovered by die-hard players or speedrunners.

Either way, it’s fascinating to learn there are so many new ways to experience Link’s iconic adventure some 19 years after it was originally made available to the public. It’s worth noting that some of these hidden gems are only available on the Nintendo 64 version of the game, while others are available across all platforms.

Here are the 18 Insane Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

18 Wrong Warping

Speedrunning has become a popular endeavor for many Nintendo titles, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Gamers have spent thousands of hours working to shave off those milliseconds to be the fastest player through the game.

When seeking for ways to get through the game quickly, players often discover glitches that allow them to skip or enter areas not normally available early in the game. In Ocarina of Time, such actions are known as Wrong Warping.

Within Ocarina of Time, each area is nestled in a loading zone and some gamers have figured out ways to thrust themselves into the wrong loading zones. This allows them to access areas of the map that are usually reserved for later.

For those looking to give it a try, there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube on how to quickly and easily Wrong Warp.

17 Infinite Sword Glitch

The Infinite Sword glitch is another exploit that’s well known in speedrunning circles, but not so much amongst the general public. Essentially, this glitch allows players to constantly swing their sword without having to press any buttons. They can then make their way though a level taking out everything in their path with ease.

To make use of the glitch, players need to find something simple to interact with like a sign or a bomb. While standing next to the item the player must try to stab at it, but interrupt the attack using the A button.

This allows them to swing the sword indefinitely. A white glow around the sword will act as proof that the glitch has been completed.

16 Superslide Glitch

Many Zelda fans are aware that the fastest way around the map in Ocarina of Time is to ride Epona, Link’s famous horse. However, there is a faster way, but it requires players to exploit the game and takes a bit of skill to learn and properly execute. This alternative means of travel is referred to as the superslide.

To do the superslide glitch, players need to pull out a bomb and, while performing a backflip, set the bomb down by pressing the shield and bomb equip at the same time. If done right, the prompt will say Attack.

Players then roll before the bomb explodes and press A to pick it up. Players will then slide as long as they are pressing R. It’s worth noting that players will be sliding backward, so it’s imperative to have strong map knowledge to make proper use of this glitch.

15 Infinite Hearts from Dampe

On occasion, players will discover an exploit in a newer version of Ocarina of Time that’s not available in previous versions. An example is the infinite heart trick that players can use in the Nintendo 3DS version of the game.

To get infinite hearts, players need to be a child when they pay Dampe to dig up a grave. Players can do this an infinite amount of times, allowing them to get as many hearts as they want. Unfortunately, this is the only place in the 3DS version of the game that players can get infinite hearts, so once they move on, they can’t use it again.

For those playing Ocarina of Time on Gamecube, there is another infinite heart method, but it requires serious skill.

14 Use an Empty Bottle Against Ganondorf

Ganondorf is easily one of the most iconic Nintendo villains of all time and is undoubtedly a favorite among Zelda fans. Those who have challenged Ganondorf before know the main way to beat him.

Players must wait for the Zelda boss to throw a ball of lightning at Link, who must deflect it back at Ganondorf using his sword. However, what many don’t know is that it’s possible to defeat Ganondorf without a sword.

Instead, players can use an empty bottle as their deflecting item for Ganondorf’s lightning. Unfortunately, players still must use their sword to actually deal damage to Ganondorf. While impractical, it’s still fun to use a simple empty bottle to negate the big boss’s primary attack.

13 Super Flip with the Help of a Bomb

One thing gamers have always loved to do in Zelda games is find new and unique ways to get through an area, especially if it means doing so outside the ways the developers intended.

This has been especially true for the puzzles in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where gamers have found numerous ways to complete puzzle areas in the game while using the in-game mechanics available to them.

In Ocarina of Time, it’s possible for players to do a super flip to get into areas they otherwise wouldn’t be able to access. To do the super flip, players cast Nayru’s Love, which creates a protective shield around Link, keeping him from experiencing any harm. Using that shield, players can then detonate a bomb while doing a backflip to launch themselves farther than they otherwise could go.

12 Skip the Great Deku Tree Dungeon

The first dungeon players experience in Ocarina of Time is the Great Deku Tree. Within the tree, players will go up against a handful of enemies and solve a couple of simple puzzles. Since it’s the first dungeon in the game, it’s also the shortest. That being said, there are ways for players to skip the Great Deku Tree altogether.

A popular way for players to skip the tree is to get the sword and shield and then make their way to the person blocking the exit. Normally, this guard will be there until players complete the Great Deku Tree dungeon, but there’s an easy way around him.

Simply face the wall and crouch-stab while pressing A to talk to the guard. Players can then roll past the guard, go into the tunnel and continue forward in the game.

11 Skip the Infamous Water Temple

Like the Great Deku Tree, players can completely skip the Water Temple and progress through the game without having to deal with the dungeon’s enemies and puzzles. However, to skip the Water Temple, players need to use a few different glitches perfectly, so it takes practice to master.

Players start by making sure they plant magic beans in the graveyard as a child and then return to the graveyard when they are an adult. Once there, players stand on a crate marked with a heart and perform a super flip to the upper ledge.

They then need to do the Infinite Sword glitch to make sure they don’t fall off the ledge and run toward the entrance. This will allow players to skip the dungeon, which in turn tells the game that players completed each of the previous dungeons as well. This allows them to progress through the game from that point.

10 Infinite Lens of Truth

Many of the glitches in Ocarina of Time are quite difficult to pull off and take a great deal of practice. Fortunately, the infinite Lens of Truth glitch is easy and quite useful for any player who wants it.

For those who aren’t aware, the Lens of Truth allows players to see through hidden doors and pits and to learn the contents of large Treasure Chests before opening them. However, it takes a good deal of magic to use the Lens of Truth.

To get infinite Lens of Truth without consuming magic, players need only play the Song of Storms with the Ocarina, then immediately activate the Lens of Truth. If done right, players will be able to use the Lens of Truth while saving their magic for spells and the spin slash.

9 Swim on Any Surface in the Game, Including Land

To perform this glitch, players will need to get their hands on a pair of Iron Boots. Once they have the boots, they can head to the Lake Hylia fishing pond to perform the glitch. Players must swim away from land until they are a decent distance away.

They then press Z to target and swim back toward the land. In the middle of a stroke, players need to equip the Iron Boots and then remove them right away.

If done correctly, players will be swimming when they reach land and will continue to swim until the Iron Boots are equipped again. Since players can use their sword and shield while swimming with this glitch, it’s possible to play through a great deal of the game while swimming on land.

8 Get to the Well in Kakariko Village at Any Time

As Ocarina of Time progresses, some aspects of the environment change for players. This can be seen wth the well in Kakariko Village, which is normally full of water until later in the game. However, there’s a simple glitch that players can execute to get access the well at any time in the game.

To access the well, players need to find a Cucco and attack it. Just before the Cucco Revenge Squad cutscene begins, players throw the Cucco to the edge of the well and stand on the opposite side. Players now need to perform a jump-slash which will start the cutscene and cause players to fall down the well, allowing them to access it early.

7 Survive Lava by Playing the Ocarina

As many players have learned through sad experience, falling into lava means instant death for Link. Normally, it’s important to avoid lava whenever possible. However for this glitch, players will want to seek out their nearest lava puddle and give it a try.

While the glitch does allow players to survive in lava for a moment, they will eventually die when they try to continue on their path. Here’s how it works: players will need a bottled fairy to revive them when they first leap into the lava. Additionally, players should not be wearing their Goron Tunic.

Players need to stand next to the lava, and watch the timer. When the timer reaches one or two seconds, they jump into the lava. Link will die and the fairy will revive him. As the fairy is doing the revive, players should use their Ocarina. If done correctly, Link will play his Ocarina while on fire, and stay alive until players are ready to move again.

6 Steal a Fishing Rod

Normally, the fishing rod in Ocarina of Time is meant to be used for a fishing mini game and isn’t meant to be carried around the map as a regular item. However, players can steal the rod and take it with them by exploiting a glitch while playing the fishing game.

First, players head to the dock and start to fish. Once they have the rod, they head into the water and swim around so they are close to shore. From there, players press A to dive down, then rapidly hit B as they are coming back up to the surface.

If done correctly, players can head to shore and cast the rod while moving. From there, they simply go to the door and leave the area with the fishing rod equipped to B. Unfortunately, there aren’t any other areas that players can fish using the rod, so it’s mainly just for fun.

5 Use the Master Sword as a Child

The most iconic weapon in all of Zelda is the Master Sword, which Link uses to take down Ganon and his cronies. As expected, players usually get the weapon late in the game while playing as adult Link. However, thanks to glitches in the game, players can use the Master Sword while playing as young Link.

To use the Master Sword as a child in Ocarina of Time, players need to have access to the sword as well as the Odd Potion while playing as adult Link. Players need to go to the Temple of Time, stand by the pedestal, and wait for the timer to hit zero on the Odd Potion.

Just as it hits zero, players press A to put the Master Sword back into its slot. Doing so will make Link a child and the timer will have five seconds left. Players do the same thing when it hits zero again and they will have the Master Sword while playing as young Link.

4 Beat the Game as a Child

Speedrunners figured out early on that by using the Wrong Warp glitch, they could skip the part of the game’s story where Link grows from a boy to a man. Instead, players can progress through the game, and even beat it, as a child.

Using the exploit, players can use Wrong Warp following their encounter with Gohma. Rather than teleporting to the Great Deku Tree, players instead are sent to the point where the castle is collapsing and they have to take down Ganon.

Granted, killing Ganon as a child with weak weapons is no easy feat, but speedrunners have figured out clever ways to do that quickly too. It’s impressive that players have figured out these exploits at all, but now that they have, gamers around the world can enjoy and experience them.

3 Explore New Areas Using the Seem Walking Glitch

One of the ways players get out of bounds in Ocarina of Time is through something called Seem Walking. Essentially, players can glitch themselves into the seems of the game between areas. Using the glitch will let players access new areas and even allow them to spend some time on the outside of the main map.

To Seem Walk, players need to line up against a corner and press up on the controller. The glitch isn’t compatible with every corner in the game, though.

However, on the corners where it does work, players will be able to get up the wall and walk along the seem of the map. If players go too far, they’ll fall forever into the nothingness of the game world, so be sure to stay vigilant.

2 Use Any Item in the Game as if it Were an Ocarina

The Ocarina is the ancient musical instrument Link uses in Ocarina of Time. Players can learn different songs for the Ocarina, which in turn provide different bonuses or actions in the game. But thanks to a glitch, the Ocarina isn’t the only item players can use as an instrument.

To play any item as an Ocarina, players need to have a bottle with a fish or a bug, and another equipable item. Players release the bug or fish and then immediately catch it again. They must then perform a backflip and press the button for the bottle and the other equipped item.

It sounds silly, but if done correctly, Link will press the item to his lips as an Ocarina. Players should be aware that they should only use items that don’t have ammo, since items like bows or slingshots will be replaced with an empty bottle when they perform the glitch.

1 Beat the Game in Less than 20 Minutes

For many gamers, The Legend of Zelda games offer a great escape into a unique and wonderous world. Not unlike Mario in concept, players take on the role of a hero who’s on a mission to save his princess. While this means most gamers will spend dozens of hours in the game exploring the map, collecting items, and defeating enemies, there are a select few gamers who prefer to get through the game as fast as possible.

The current speedrun record for Ocarina of Time is an incredible 17 minutes and nine seconds. The current record belongs to a Norwegian gamer known as Torje, who set the record in 2017.

To set this time, Torje used many of the glitches, exploits, and features mentioned above, along with a handful of others. It’ll be interesting to see if that record will ever be beat and if any players will ever reach the coveted sub-17 minute Ocarina of Time completion time.

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Are there any glitches or exploits we failed to mention for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time?